10 Alternatives To Thrift Store Donations To Get Rid Of Things After Decluttering

Your home is your safe space, but when it's filled with stuff that hasn't seen the light of day since you don't know how long, it's time to declutter. While thrift stores are an easy way of giving your things a new home, several worthy nonprofit organizations can benefit from your donation and will welcome even your hard-to-get-rid-of items with open arms. You'll be keeping textiles and other wastes out of landfills and oceans — and making your home a clutter-free zone.

You already know all of the tips and tricks to declutter your space, even the one that uses simple math to do it faster. You're familiar with the usual places for getting rid of your stuff, like Goodwill for clothes and household items, Best Buy for turning in old electronics, and H&M for recycling your old jeans you've yet to repurpose. But you probably have other things you might not know how to get rid of responsibly. We're talking about hair tools you don't use, books you don't read, and even old underwear you know better than to throw away in the trash. 

Before you start packing all that clutter into a box for the thrift store, take a look at our list of worthwhile organizations you'll feel warm and tingly about donating to. With this approach, you'll be able to check all the boxes for making your home a sanctuary: getting rid of clutter — check; being environmentally friendly — check; and giving back to your community — check.

Local animal shelters are always in need of towels, blankets, bedding, and anything else that can help adorable critters keep more comfortable during their stay. Shelters don't care whether your donation has stains or rips, they'll put everything to good use for making beds, tuggable dog toys, or drying them off after a bath and wiping up spills. Even extra-worn T-shirts are useful protective layers for any animal who's recovering from surgery. Most shelters only ask that anything you donate comes to them clean.

Books can take up lots of space, leaving little room for ones you've yet to read. That's where the Little Free Library comes in. This organization provides free access to a range of diverse books 24 hours a day, seven days a week through book-exchange boxes. Its mission is to promote literacy by expanding free access everywhere. You can take a book you haven't read before and leave one or more you have. Look for book-sharing box locations around the country or start a library in your community.

Instead of throwing out leftover arts and craft supplies that you can't decide if you'll ever need, like paints, brushes, fabric, paper, scissors, and so on, brighten a stranger's day by donating them to a nearby senior living facility. These supplies will be put to good use for social gatherings and group projects that most facilities plan for their residents. If there's not one close to you, nonprofit afterschool programs like a Boys & Girls Club will surely be happy to take those gently used supplies, too.

When your old pots' and pans' best days have passed and they're too damaged to be used anymore, haul them to your local scrap yard to be recycled. While most people view the scrap yard as a spot to discard metal from large projects, cast iron skillets, dutch ovens, and other stainless steel, copper, or aluminum pots and pans also fit the bill. This process could even land a few bucks in your pocket. Check with your local scrap yard first to make sure they accept the type of metal cookware you have.

To most, luggage means traveling to fun places, but to some, it can hold everything they own in the world. So, if you've outgrown or upgraded your current luggage set, there are foster care facilities that will gladly take the old ones off your hands and give them to kids who need them. Suitcases help give kids a more dignified way of hauling their belongings instead of using a plastic garbage bag. Some communities even have annual luggage drives, so check for those in your area, too. 

The last thing you should do is throw old clothes into the trash. Besides taking up unnecessary space in landfills, your old clothes can be valuable to someone else. Domestic violence and homeless shelters, LGBTQ centers, the Red Cross, and foster care facilities are always in need of men's, women's, and kids' new or gently used clothes. This can also include any shoes, purses, or any accessories you're looking to part ways with. Before donating, make sure your clothes are clean and free of any holes or rips.

When you aren't in the mood to sell your unwanted furniture on Facebook Marketplace, Habitat for Humanity is a hassle-free option. A couple of caveats — furniture must be in good, sellable condition and can't be a piece you've painted. They're sticklers for this rule. So, if you duped your dream Anthropologie dresser and it didn't quite work out, you'll have to find another way to offload it. Habitat for Humanity now charges a $50 convenience fee to pick up your furniture to offset their cost, though you can also bring in items yourself.

When your family has more kicks than you possibly have time to count, give some to Soles4Souls, a nonprofit that turns unwanted shoes into opportunities. Soles4Souls will take any size and style of new or gently worn shoes, including sneakers and clothing, and give them to people experiencing economic hardship, natural disasters, or other types of crises anywhere around the world. You can ship your donation for free (up to 50 pounds) with Zappos for Good or drop it off at a Soles4Souls location in your area. 

Have you bought a hair tool, makeup item, or beauty product that promised you the world but failed to deliver — and now you're stuck with it? Project Beauty Share wants to take them off your hands. They work with other nonprofits to provide personal hygiene, cosmetics, and beauty products to women and families in need. They'll take used tools, like blow dryers and curling irons, barely used beauty products, samples, and unopened feminine care products, to name a few. Just make sure products aren't expired or near their expiration date.

You won't find places to donate that accept used socks, much less underwear. Before you throw them in the trash where they'll end up in a landfill, send them to Subset instead. The undergarment retailer takes all types and brands of underwear, bras, socks, and tights — in any condition — and disposes of them responsibly or turns them into other materials used in insulation and carpet padding. With your donation, you'll also get 20% off your next Subset order. It's a win-win for your wallet and Mother Earth.